Revelations of the Phoenix
by LDJoe
Summary: Harry won the Battle against Voldemort. but in the process he released something that was many times and in many ways worse. Flash forward 10 years and there is not much left of this place. Secrets that an old man kept hidden could have changed everything and Harry intends to find out. Rated T for some swearing but it may change down the road. AU/TimeTravel/Rewriting Year 1-7
1. Prologue

**AN- This idea came to me suddenly while re-watching the series, Its going to be a little convoluted at first but I hope not too bad. As for fans of my other story worry not, there is a new chapter on the way. This and my other story will be updated at LEAST once a week, just so I don't burn myself out on writing too much in too short of a time. I think that is all.. maybe, I don't know. Anyways! Read on, I hope everyone enjoys this little taste of the idea in my head.**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter, that belongs to JKR. I wish i did though... wouldn't that be grand?**

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"I wish it would rain." Neville muttered to himself as he, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley were walking through the abandoned and torn down ruins of Hogwarts. It had been 10 years since the beast had been released on the world, all due to one oversight, one simple little mistake. It was a mistake the four of them had hoped they could find some way of correcting. Maybe if they could just send a message, just get a warning back in time. Maybe they could advert all of the horror. There were more than a few old bones still laying amongst the rubble of the school. Most of these bones belonged to the students who had happened to be here.. Harry shook his head, he didn't want to think about the past now. They were here for something specific.

"Guys I think it's this way." Neville said, motioning towards a large pile of debris. The four of them walked carefully amongst the rubble trying not to trip as they approached the pile of rubble, things looked vaguely familiar to them. It wasn't until they had stood atop the rubble did they recognize it as the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. After a few levitation spells and on particularly powerful bulldozing spell, most of the stuff was cleared for the quartet to jump into the hole. It wasn't a very long drop before they landed on the ground with a light thud thanks to Hermione using a cushioning charm. Harry brushed himself off before looking down the cavern before him, It had been so long he had nearly forgotten about the cave in after him, Ron and Gilderoy Lockheart had come down here during his second year. It took quite abit more magic to move the debris while Ginny and Neville worked on putting spells in place to ensure it didn't collapse in on them once again.

They continued to move through the corridor which Ginny could only remember slightly, as if just on the fog of her memory. There had been so much the four of them had been through since the downfall of Voldemort. It was supposed to be better, she thought to herself. She could remember the famous Battle of Hogwarts as if it had only happened yesterday. Harry had finally done it, he had defeated Voldemort in a duel which ended the threat once and for all. The joy, despite all of the death that occurred, was so palpable in the air it was difficult for anyone to mourn. Many of the students and faculty that had died during the battle were offered the chance to buried in the same plot that Dumbledore rested. Some families had agreed to it, others took their loved ones back to the family plots. Fred was buried at Hogwarts though. She remembered sitting at that funeral service, her hand entwined with Harrys and tears in her eyes. She shook her head, that felt like an entire lifetime ago.

The group arrived at the entrance, it was still fairly damp from when Ron and Hermione came down here to retrieve the Basilisk fang during the Battle. Harry led the way, the light illuminating from his wand as they pushed further and further into the chamber. They were here on a tip, albeit a very shady one. An old Death Eater, very close to Voldemort had disclosed the secret about the Chamber. It was something he had over-heard Voldemort discussing with Wormtail. Harry was weary about the tip, not knowing if he could trust this Rookwood. Even after the torture Harry had put him through, Rookwood stood by his statement. Harry finished him off with the killing curse after far too long. They continued past the old Basilisk bones and towards the center of the room. And looked around.

"Longbottom, Granger, you two head that way and don't stray too far." He said, pointing to the left of the chamber and what looked like an opening into a small corridor. "Meet back here in fifteen." Harry said in the commanding voice they had grown accustomed to hearing from him. He turned without a second glance and motioned for Ginny to follow him. She obliged and walked behind him in silence, taking care to look around the room and towards the passageway they had begun traveling towards.

Ginny glanced at the back of Harrys head and caught a glimpse of the scar, not the lightning bolt one, but the scar that ran all the way around his neck, quite a lot like a collar but it was no collar. It was a scar that had almost cost Harry his life and it was all because of her that it was there. He jumped in front of a curse that was meant for her, it was supposed to be a slow and painful choking curse but it was modified. A razor wire had wrapped around his throat, pulling slowly. She thought for sure that Harry was going to die before the Beast had released the curse. Why he did, neither Harry nor Ginny knew. He disappeared instantly after that. Had Neville not been there, Harry would have died. After that however, Harry never did look at her the same way again..

Harry was also lost in thought about what they might possibly find down here, if Rookwood hadn't been lying. Which was doubtful. If there was one thing Harry was good at, it was extracting information. In this life anyways. Hopefully if they found the book, things could be different. If not for him then maybe someone else. A small sound caught his attention and Harry held his wand arm up, pointing it at an upcoming bend, he motioned for Ginny to stop and both of them stood in silence waiting for the sound to pick up again. After what felt like an eternity in silence, they heard nothing else and continued on the way. The air caught in Ginnys throat and both of them stopped cold as they entered another very large cavern.  
This was unlike anything they had seen down in the chamber of secrets, which was mostly old rock and water. The cavern that Harry and Ginny now stood was tall, at least 100 or so feet up. It was very well lit and all of the candles looked to still be lit and burning. There was two huge book shelves, an old wooden table and chair. Off in the back they could make out a bed and a nightstand. This looked like a living quarter, but the question on both of their minds was what was it possibly doing down here.

Neville and Hermione were walking through their side of the chamber in relative quiet as well. Hermione was leading them with her wand held up high illuminating the path. Neville thought to how much Hermione and everyone had changed since the incident all those years ago. He wasn't there at the time and from what he heard from the only people who were there, it wasn't something he was too keen on being witness too. He remembered how Hermione used to be nice, and very pretty. Whatever had happened there changed her drastically, her hair now cut very short, one very large and noticeable scar running from the left corner of her mouth and all the way to the hairline below her ear. In all of his years of traveling with them, He never wanted to ask how she had gotten it. Even if he had, it's not as if anyone wanted to talk about those times. So he kept his questions to himself, hoping only to help them put away the Beast once and for all. As the rounded a bend, little ways down a faint glow caught their attention.

Harry walked towards the desk where an old and musty book was sitting opened, apparently whoever had been here, hadn't returned in quite some time as everything had a very thick layer of dust covering it. He grabbed the book and looked at the front cover, brushing off the dust to reveal the title: 'Thestrals, And what you need to know.' He tossed the book back onto the table and once again a sound caught his attention. This time the sound was coming from the far end of the cavern. He looked back at Ginny who nodded in acknowledgement, then held her wand up, ready to cast whatever spell she could. The two of them approached where the sound was coming from, which appeared to be an exit from the cavern. Harry counted down from three with his fingers, and when he reached zero he jumped from around the corner and raised his wand only to find Hermione and Neville making their way.

"It makes a loop." Harry said, putting his wand into his holster and looking around the room. Ginny walked over next to Hermione and Neville. They were all waiting for Harry to give the orders. He turned about face and looked at the three of them. "Longbottom, I want you to the entrance of the Chamber and place down a warning ward. I want to know if anyone is following us." Neville nodded and turned around to go back the way he came. "Weasley, Granger. Go through the books here. We need to find one that is hand written. Apparently it was the personal notebook of Salazar Slytherin himself."

Ginny turned and walked towards the first bookshelf as Hermione moved towards the one that was a little bit further away. She wouldn't show it, but Ginny was deeply saddened about the way Harry had become. She could remember when he was just 12 or 13 years old. Despite everything Dumbledore was putting him through Harry still found a way to smile and be happy. She remembered his smile, no matter how she felt, whether she was sad or even happy, Harrys' smile used to warm her heart, make her smile even if that was the last thing on earth she could possibly want to do. Nowadays, she would give anything just to see that smile back on his face. A face that had been hardened by this war, more so the opening shots of the war, The death of her brother Ron. Even to this day, neither Hermione or Harry would mention that day. As Ginny was looking through books, Harry walked over to Hermione and leaned against the bookshelf. He looked at the scars on her face and more so her hands.

"Do you think it is possible?" Harry asked, looking over at Ginny briefly.

"With Magic, it is difficult to tell Harry. Rookwood could have been talking out of his ass." Hermione said, pulling a rather large book from the shelf and flipping it open. "All I know is that something like this will take more magic than I think any of us could possibly hope to conjure." She said, a hint of worry in her eye. Harry let the softest faint of a smile curl at the corner of his lips for only the briefest of seconds, Hermione was the only one who would have noticed anyways, before he replied.

"I know. But it is the only shot we have." Harry said, running his fingers across his chin. The beginnings of a beard was about to sprout from his chin. He hadn't had much time to worry about haircuts as of late. His eyes wandered back to Ginny and this time Hermione noticed.

"Listen Harry.." Hermione started, looking up at him with her eyes filled with sadness, but she was cut off by Harry who raised his hand.

"Just don't." He said.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but she really deserves to know what happened." Hermione said looking at Harry. "I wish that it wasn't true, but she deserves the truth more than the lie you told her."

"I don't want to hear it Granger." He said in a very serious tone. Without looking at her he walked away and towards the bed. Hermione let out a exhausted sigh and after looking over at Ginny, who was still sort through books herself, turned back to go through the large pile of old and dusty books herself. When Harry approached the bed he looked over at the stand, and almost invisible underneath a large pile of dust was what looked like a small notebook. He moved towards the stand and picked up the book, he pushed the dust off of it and noticed the writing on the book. This was the book they were looking for. Sitting down on the bed, Harry pulled the book open. This was the book of Salazar Slytherin, inside of it was only one single written paragraph and as Harry looked it over, a smile escaped his lips. Rookwood was right, this spell would accomplish exactly what he wanted to do. Unfortunately Hermione was correct, this spell would take more energy than any wizard still alive on this planet. Well.. Except one.  
Neville was just walking back into the room as Harry got the attention of everyone. The four of them crowded around the table Harry conjured up so that they could look over the spell. Hermione looked satisfied with the results, but Ginny and Neville looked completely and utterly shocked. This was a very complicated spell, and powerful. It was doubtful that anyone could pull up that kind of power. They didn't have long to worry about the spell however, as the ward Neville had just put up, went off and all four of them tensed up. All four reached for their wands as they formed a circle leaving no area without eyes on it.

They waited. And waited. But nothing happened, and no one had shown up. Harry kept his eyes and ears open, hoping for a glimpse. A hint of whatever it was that was moving through the darkness but it was as still as ever. Neville straightened up and in that very moment a green flash flew from out of the darkness of one of the corridors, hitting him square in the chest. It was the killing curse.

"Neville!" Ginny shouted as Harry and Hermione reached over her shoulder and shot killing curses of their own at the location the original blast had come from. The wall exploded proving that they had hit nothing. Ginny didn't know what had happened around her, she was more focused on the body of Neville which was currently lifeless. She had seen quite a few friends go down over the years but it was starting to get too much. She watched Luna, Sheamus and most of her friends from her Hogwarts years cut down because of the Beast. Harry and Hermione began to move past Ginny and Neville, not even bothering to check if Neville truly was dead. They knew that answer already. Both of them scanned any dark crevice, shadow, anything that could hide a darkness. The beast was a master at hiding in the shadows, and it really didn't take much to conceal it. Nothing happened for a very long time, until the sound of a voice clicking in the back of the room caused the hair on all three of them to rise. Harry and Hermione knew what they were about to see, but when Ginny spun turned she could feel every drop of blood rushing from her face.

It was Ron.

"Ron!" Ginny said, getting up to run to him but Harry managed to grab her by the collar of her shirt and pulled her backwards where Hermione grabbed ahold of her. A very dark smile crossed the face of their old best friend as he looked from Ginny to Hermione, finally coming to a rest on Harry.

"Potter. I fear you haven't told my little sister the truth." Ron said a mocking pout crossing his face. "And that hurts.."

"Fuck You." Harry said, raising his wand and pointing it at Ron. Ron quickly moved his hand across his face, and for the briefest of moments, a dark and sinister face took its place before it looked again like Ron Weasley.

"That's not Ron.." Ginny said, her voice full of fear and understanding. "What have you done with my BROTHER!" She struggled to free herself from the hold Hermione had on her, but she couldn't.

"Ginny listen to me.. Im sorry we didn't tell you.." Hermione said, while never taking her eyes off of Ron. "The night the beast got free… it – it needed a host. It took Ron. Im sorry but we weren't lying when we said Ron had died but.."

Ron looked from Harry to Hermione and in that moment, Harry launched a killing curse at him. With only a flick of his wrist, and without breaking eye contact from Hermione, Ron blocked it as if it was nothing.

"Oh your little friend here didn't die. No as you can see he is standing right here." Ron said, running his hand along his plain white shirt. "No he is inside here, screaming so loud, trying to get free. You know what? He almost did at one point, just when he seen you actually.." Ron motioned towards Ginny, then looked over at Harry. "You know that Potter? He is still here.. He wants you to… I don't know. There was something, he was talking then went quiet. I don't know. Where was I?"

Ginny shook of Hermione at that moment and charged at Ron, her wand ready. She launched curse after curse at the beast, but it managed to block everything she could have possible thrown without even breaking a sweat. She got close enough however, that she pulled her right hand back and drove it straight into the nose of Ron, breaking it. He held his nose for a moment, out of shock before straightening up.

"Now now, this body suits me well. Let's not go destroying it.. " Ron said, and with only a thought he sent Ginny flying backwards and crashing into Hermione who was rushing forward to grab Ginny. A quick wave of his wand and the Beast who was masquerading as Ron looked as good as new. Harry raised his wand pointing once again at the chest of one of his oldest friends. A friend who no longer existed. Ron turned around and looked around the room they were in. His eyes scanned everything but finally coming to a stop on the old book they had been looking at before, Slytherins personal book. A sadistic smile crossed his face as he looked over the spell, he slowly turned to look at Harry, Hermione and Ginny.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." He said, taking a step towards Harry. "You really think something like this could have possibly worked. With you three?" Harry threw another curse and Ron but it was deflected into the wall with only the wave of Rons hand. "Don't get me wrong.. if this spell works.. it could change everything. Hell, I could kill all of you before you were even born."

Instead of using magic, Harry quickly charged Ron and tackled him to the ground. Harry began punching him in the face as Hermione and Ginny ran to the book and began re-reading the spell. It didn't take very long however for Ron to gain the upper hand and used a telekinetic force to send Harry crashing hard into the table, taking Hermione and Ginny to the floor with him.

Ron got to his feet and brushed off the layer of dust he received from his little confrontation with Harry. He walked forward and picked Ginny up off the floor with on hand while looking into her eyes.

"I can feel it.. Ron that is.. He is screaming even harder in here, he is really fighting it. At least you know Ginerva. Your brother loves you." Without a hesitation and with only a slight twist of his hand and all of the bones in Ginnys neck broke instantaneously and she fell to the ground dead. "And as for you two." He said, watching the look of horror on Hermiones face, and the look of anger on Harrys. "I'm sick and tired of playing these games."

"Harry.. I'm sorry." Hermione said as Ron picked her up next, once again by the throat. The Beast smiled as he could feel the soul of Ron fight to gain control, but it wasn't going to happen. Ever. That momentary distraction however, changed history all together. Harry jumped to his feet and tried to hit Ron with his fist, but Ron caught Harrys hand with his free hand. Hermione took an opportunity to do something very rare, and very powerful. She reached with her hand and placed it on the face of Ron and with her free hand she placed it on the face of Harry and using whatever energy she had left, she drained something powerful from the beast and transferred it to Harry, while casting the spell that Salazar Slytherin and written about.

The shock-wave was enough to send all three of them flying backwards. The last thing Harry Potter could remember seeing was the roof falling down on them before losing consciousness.

_This was the end_. This was the** beginning**.

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**A/N2 - Thanks for reading, future chapters will be longer I hope.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - I dont own Harry Potter or the characters of universe of such. I do however own my characters and story ideas which will be popping up sooner or later.**

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Harry slowly opened his eyes but saw nothing at all. It was pitch black wherever he was. Was he dead? Was this hell? The last thing he remembered seeing was Hermione transferring energy of some sort. The Beast had them more than trapped, but then... He shook his head, everything was fuzzy. The thought that he was dead quickly vanished; however, as he could feel the damp air around him. He inhaled slowly then patted himself down, looking for his wand. He couldn't find it so he extended his hand out in front of him like he was raising a broom off the ground, like he did in his first year. It was a trick he picked up over the years, and after a moment of concentration he could hear the shaking of the wand on the ground before it launched up and into his hand.

"Lumos," he whispered and was temporarily blinded by the light, but after holding up the light and looking around he concluded he was still in the chamber of Salazar Slytherin, but it looked as empty as it was when He, Neville, Ginny and Hermione had arrived. There was no sign that a battle had just taken place and no bodies either. Did she really pull it off? He would have to get out of the chamber and find out. He closed his eyes and focused on the front of Hogwarts, a memory that was fuzzy. Even for him. His attempt to Apparate however, failed. He tried a couple more times before he remembered one of the rules at Hogwarts... Apparating inside the walls was impossible. For everyone except… him... the old bastard himself. But if Harry couldn't Apparate now, that would mean the walls of the School are standing again.

Harry began tracing his steps backwards to get to the Chamber and hopefully up and in the School. As he stepped into the main chamber however, a low grumbling stopped him dead in his tracks. He turned around and fired three balls of light up on the walls so he would be able to see everything without the need to use his wand. He spotted something slithering on the ground, but it was massive. Even as it was lying flat down it still towered over Harry and that's when he remembered... the Basilisk.

"Caecusium" Harry yelled as the brilliant white light hit the giant snake in it left eye, It was a spell that Hermione had discovered while they were travelling through some ruins that were discovered shortly before the fall of Voldemort, Carved into a wall no less. Harry raised his wand again and this time the spell connected with the right eye of the snake, blinding it long enough for him to move into the shadows, preparing to attack. It all depended on the creature. He was going to cast another spell at it before he stopped himself.

Isn't his triumph over the Basilisk one of the things that helped him become the man he was? He came back for a specific reason and it had nothing to do with the snake before him. He turned and ran as fast as he could towards the entrance, after speaking to the door and watching it open, Harry moved through quickly and made sure the door closed behind him. It wasn't time for that thing to be loose yet. Harry lit the tip of his wand as he made his way towards the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets, his mind began racing with the thoughts. What if he did kill the snake? It was not like he was in his Universe anymore, wherever he was now; maybe he could change it and make things better. Maybe he could protect his younger self and maybe remove what he now knew to be the biggest threat to his life, Albus Dumbledore.

He was deep in thought still as he reached the entrance below the sink in the girl's washroom. He called up the hole in Parselmouth, and when he heard the entrance opening he tried something he never really had the chance to do, and that was to slowly begin to levitate himself up the hole.

It wasn't long before he reached the top and looked around. He spoke to the sink and it closed again, looking around and noticing the room was clear he walked towards the door and stepped through, just before he heard Moaning Myrtle begin to speak. He moved his wand over his face and winced in pain as he altered some of his features, it might not be best to be recognized right now. The scar around his neck disappeared as did the lightning bolt one that was still faintly visible on his head. His eyes changed to a deep blue color and his hair color changed to a much darker brown, bordering on black. His jaw widened slightly and his nose shifted also. The pain from the change was unimaginable but it needed to be done, he just wished he had picked up the Metamorphagus skill from Tonks before her death.

The changes stopped and Harry Potter looked a lot less like himself, hopefully enough to avoid notice at the very least. He transfigured a broken mirror into an emerald cloak and wrapped himself up in it. It appeared that the hallways were empty so Harry moved his way through the school and outside of the ghosts Harry noticed no one else. That was strange. He continued out the front steps, heading towards the gates. He passed no living person as he made his way across the grounds, which again, was strange but as soon as he passed the gates, Harry Potter apparated and found himself standing in an abandoned alleyway in Diagon Alley. He stepped back into the shadows as a couple of people ran past.

First thing Harry had to do was learn the date. July 30th 1991... It was the day before he was to find out that he is a wizard. Remembering that day, Harry shuddered. His so called Guardians were currently dragging him across the country side to avoid the letters from the owls. Later on, Hagrid would burst through the door like the big oaf he is and announce my placement in Hogwarts. His mind often wandered to thoughts of Hogwarts, What if he had never went to that infernal school? Even this year alone, there would be a Troll, Centaurs and Quirrell

Wait a second. Quirrell! As if right on cue Harry spotted the quirky Professor Quirinus Quirrell walking past the alleyway he now stood. If Harry could figure out a way to, say, remove Quirrell from his position as Defence Against the Dark Arts; maybe, just maybe he can take the position for himself and keep his younger self safe. At least until he could get the locations of the last Hallow. Those last words filled him with Anger and, although he would never admit it to another living soul, fear. He stepped out from his alleyway and followed behind Quirrell never taking his eyes off of the back of Quirrell's turban. Quirrell walked straight to the Leaky Caldron and Harry continued as if he belonged there. Harry sat down at the bar, which was right next to where Quirrell sat.

"What can I getcha?" The voice brought Harry out of his concentration. He turned his head to see Tom the bartender leaning against the bar, all of these seemed too normal for Harry. In his time most people were too afraid to be outside for long, The Beast would pray on any witch or wizard who dared to use magic, let alone gather in large groups like this. Even muggle deaths were on the rise, but they attributed it all to a new plague, if they only knew the truth. Tom tapped his hand on the counter, getting impatient. Harry shook his head and looked up to see Tom turning his attention to Quirrell. Harry turned his attention now to Quirrell. Now the question that plagued Harry was how to eliminate his target without it clearly being a provoked attack.

Harry turned away from Quirrell and looked around the rest of the small pub. It was mostly empty except for an older witch who was very preoccupied with something that was on the table in front of her, and a very large figure sitting in the back. Upon further inspection Harry saw a face he hadn't seen in years, Rubeus Hagrid. The last time Harry saw him Inferi were devouring him alive. He could still remember the screams from both Hagrid and the Inferi; it was something he would take to his death. Hagrid was talking to another nondescript wizard so Harry began listening.

"Yeh, I have ter pick sumthin' up fer Dumbledore," He drank the remaining contents of his tankard and leant forward to speak softer. "I have ter track down a sneaky snake." Hagrid began to move out from the table so Harry turned away once more and looked down at the bar in front of him as he felt Hagrid move past him and out the front door. Harry scratched his chin as an idea began to form in his head. There was one way to get the attention he was looking for.

"Tom… Tom Marvolo Riddle…" Harry whispered as low as he could in Parseltongue hoping it wouldn't draw attention from anyone else. Harry continued to look around the bar, but when he turned his head to look at Quirrell he saw a look of pure horror. Quirrell wasn't blinking, but just staring at Harry now. "Oh come on now Tom, don't be shy."

At that moment Quirrell raised his wand and this was something Harry had been trained for. He pushed himself backwards and off of the stool in one smooth motion as he barely avoided the first curse that was sent his way. It exploded against the wall as Harry pulled his wand out and sent a simple Jelly Legs curse at Quirrell but it was blocked. Quirrell stood tall, not like his usual manner, and sent another bright blue ball of magic at Harry who deflected it, causing it to crash into Tom the Bartender. The female witch quickly took off, leaving only Harry and Quirrell standing in the bar.

"Who are you?" Quirrell asked, while still pointing his wand at Harry.

"You are just an instrument. I am talking to him." Harry now stood up straight then he heard a voice that reminded him of the past. It was a low hissing at first but then the unmistakeable sound of a voice. Quirrell shook his head like he was having an internal argument before he reached back with the hand that wasn't holding the wand. Slowly he unravelled the turban and turned his head. Protruding from the back of Quirrell's head was the face of Lord Voldemort.

"There is the bastard himself." Harry said, still speaking the language of the snakes. "This year won't go exactly as planned I'm afraid to say Tom."

"Who are you?" The voice of Voldemort hissed at him. This brought a smile across the face of Harry Potter. Quirrell's body was facing away from him so he knew he had the drop on him should Voldemort order an attack. He lowered his wand and grabbed a chair off the ground. He never took his eyes off of the face of Voldemort. Harry smiled and tilted his head to the side.

"For years, most of my teenage years for that matter, were plagued by you. You were the monster in the closet, under the bed. To even say your name caused most grown wizards to cower in fear. But you don't scare me Voldemort." Upon saying the last word Harry began to twirl his wand nonchalantly in his hand, as if the scene before him was just another normal day.

"Answer me!" The voice of Voldemort screamed as the body of Quirrell spun around, but his speed was nothing compared to the reflexes of this experienced Harry Potter and in a flash of light, Quirinus Quirrell was locked in a full body binding spell. Harry got to his feet and walked over to the body. He leaned closely so that even if someone was nearby, they would have difficulty hearing what was said.

"I am Harry Potter, the boy who lived... the boy who killed you. It won't be today, it won't be tomorrow but there will come a day when you once again look in my eyes and you will see your end Tom. See you soon." The moment he finished speaking those words, four Aurors burst into the Leaky Cauldron and sent stunners in his direction. Harry managed to avoid them with little effort but made no attempt to retaliate. The Aurors walked forward still pointing there wands at Harry.

"Identify yourself!" The lead Auror said while looking down at the body of Quirrell. Harry took a breath and raised his hands to show no intentions of violence.

"My name is James. James Dunham." He said, placing his fake wand down on the table, His real wand was tucked securely on the inside the left arm of his cloak. Harry then motioned to the body of Quirrell on the ground. "I don't know this man's name, but he attempted to assault me. I was just looking to spend the night here but he suddenly went nuts and attacked me."

The Auror walked over to the body of Quirrell and turned it over, He recognized the full body bind curse and was about to remove it before he noticed the back of his head. A frightened gasp escaped his lips as he stood up straight. He turned to face the Auror nearest to him and as the blood rushed from his face he spoke.

"Get Scrimgeour, Fudge and everyone else down here... now!"

LINE BREAK

Dumbledore sat in his office looking over his desk. The news he had just received was very interesting indeed, just three days ago Harry was retrieved from the Dursley's and Hagrid had mentioned how he was kept from knowing the truth about his family and was seriously malnourished. It was regrettable but it needed to be done, the magic would only protect Harry from the harm he was sure to face from Death Eaters, as long as he was with the Dursley's. The other news was more troubling however, Professor Quirrell was attacked at the Leaky Cauldron and to just compound the trouble they discovered his connection to Voldemort.

This threw a major monkey wrench into Dumbledore's plans, as he not only needed to find a replacement for his Defence against the Dark Arts class but now Harry would need something else, a different threat or he would never understand the horrors that the world would soon be facing. If he was ever going to replace Dumbledore as the light everyone rallied around in the darkness, he would have to face trials. His attention was brought back to the present by a sharp knocking at his door.

"Come in."

Walking into the room was Minerva McGonagall, his deputy headmistress and close friend. Her face was always locked into a stern expression and that intimidated most of the students she taught. She walked up to the desk and stood before him, just watching and waiting for Dumbledore to speak first.

"What can I help you with today Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, leaning back in his chair. He tented his fingers in front of his face as he watched her take a few deep breathes before starting.

"What are we going to do Albus? With Professor Quirrell being attacked in Diagon Alley, There are rumors floating around that Quirrell was involved in very dark magic. What are we going to do?" McGonagall stood before Dumbledore visibly flustered. She didn't know the half of it, she wouldn't know either if Dumbledore had his way. It was best that less people knew of his plans, and besides, the man who attacked Quirrell likely didn't know what he was getting into either. That gave Dumbledore an idea.

"Worry not Minerva, I am sure that Professor Quirrell will be found to be innocent of these claims. I have a few ideas for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts." He smiled at McGonagall to give off the impression that everything was under control. He knew however that his plan to begin Harry down the right path was put in serious jeopardy with Quirrell, and by extension Voldemort, being defeated by some wizard by the name of James Dunham. If Dumbledore could convince James to join the staff however he could have the perfect patsy to take the blame for what he had in mind this year for young Harry Potter. McGonagall continued to stand waiting for a response from Dumbledore.

"Do you mind sharing with me?" she asked.

"Well the reports say that Quirrell attacked the man unprovoked and was defeated soundly. I thought why not talk to this boy and see how he could defeat our Professor with such ease..." McGonagall was visibly taken aback.

"You want to offer the job to someone who we know nothing about, not to mention the fact he attacked one of our professors?" She couldn't believe it. Dumbledore hadn't moved an inch since she started talking. He was content with just waiting. They both remained silent before quite some time before Dumbledore spoke.

"Trust me Minerva, now please send a letter to Miss Bones and inform her of my intentions to speak with this Mr. Dunham, as long as he is not being charged with anything of course." McGonagall looked like she was going to argue before she nodded her head and walked off. He sat back in his chair and began to think more about what he was going to have to do to begin Harry on the right path.

LINE BREAK

Harry walked through the front gate of Hogwarts, this time as James Dunham. He had the letter tucked away in his deep maroon robes as he made his way to the front door. Hagrid's hut sat nearby and he looked over at it for only a moment before turning his attention to the castle before him. It had only been 5 days since he beat Quirrell in that pub and now here he was walking into Hogwarts for a face to face with the man who lied to him his entire childhood.

After the Aurors arrived and found the scene, Harry stayed out of the way. Fudge showed up, as did Amelia Bones. They talked for quite some time about what to do before deciding to take Quirrell to a holding facility for further study. Harry was questioned extensively but that wasn't an issue for him. His years on the run in the future had made him an excellent liar, as was his training in resisting the effects of Veritaserum. After finally accepting what Harry was telling them was the truth, He was released and given the letter from Hogwarts asking for him to come for a meeting with Albus.

Harry stood before the entrance to the Headmasters office and after a moment it opened wide, stepping out was McGonagall. He was taken aback; he had forgotten how young she looked, despite still being advanced in age. Over the years she looked to age twice as quick and towards the end of the war against Voldemort, she looked frail. Not to mention the day the Beast was released. Harry felt his anger rise but quickly buried it back down as McGonagall paid him notice.

"You must be James Dunham. Welcome to Hogwarts, My name is Minerva McGonagall," She held out a hand and Harry shook it. She smiled and motioned to the stairway behind her. "Head up this way to meet the Headmaster." Harry said nothing but nodded his head and walked past her. He could feel her watching him but he continued pushing forward. Once he arrived at the top of the stairs he took a moment to compose himself, He had to keep himself in check if he was going to fool the old man.

"Come in," he heard from the other side of the door. Harry pushed the door open and walked inside. He handled himself quite well the first time he laid his eyes on Dumbledore, sitting behind the desk with that old twinkle in his eye. Harry walked forward and held out his hand.

"Hello Headmaster, my name is James Dunham." Dumbledore shook his hand in turn and Harry sat down on the chair. They sat in a silence for a moment as Dumbledore attempted to use Legilimens to read into the mind of Harry, Harry was prepared however and modified enough memories to make the ruse stand against such an attempt. Harry knew there was a good chance something like this would happen.

"Hello James, I called you here today because of the incident earlier this week. As I am sure you have had to recount the story so many times I will not ask you to do it again. I did want to talk to you about an opportunity that has arisen from the situation. As you may know, Quirrell was our Defence against the Dark Arts professor here and was well versed in combat techniques. The report says you managed to defeat him with relative ease. This is impressive." Harry – Nay, James – smiled. Most of it was for show, He wanted Dumbledore to believe that it was a challenge.

"It was either I defend myself or I die. I don't know what set him off but I had to do what I had to do. I am sorry for any problems that may have arisen due to this situation," He showed the most sincere look he could muster before adding the final touch to his plan. "If there is anything I can do to help you, please just let me know Headmaster."

Harry saw a smile cross the face of Albus Dumbledore, A smile that reached his eyes and he knew that the bait had been taken.

"I believe there is something you can do James. If you are interested that is."

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**A/N - Thanks everyone who liked and favorited the last chapter. I have quite a few ideas that keep cropping up in my head for directions this story can take and its proving to be quite exciting, I hope I can entertain and do Justice for all of you. I think that is about it.. I hope you enjoy this chapter and take a moment to write a review, They really do help and it gives me a good opportunity to see what everyone thinks so far.**

**- Until Next Time**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer - All Harry Potter and the characters are property of JK Rowling. I make no money for this, and do it for fun so don't sue!**

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Harry Potter, or James Dunham as he had become known in the last few months, was finding the whole teaching thing much more enjoyable then he thought he would. He remembered the various teachers he had while he attended Hogwarts and with the exceptions of Lupin and the fake Moody, his teachings in Defence against the Dark Arts, had been severely lacking. It was a wonder he had survived the encounter with Voldemort and for as long as he did against the Beast. Dumbledore wasted no time in offering Harry the job, as he figured. It all pointed to the fact that Dumbledore knew more than he was letting on. Even back then and It was something James was aiming to change this time around.

A soft knock came from the other side of the door, Harry looked up just as the door was slowly pushed open and in walked Minerva McGonagall. She was wearing emerald green robes and a very large black witch cap. He knew why she was here but he let her explain herself anyways.

"James, the students will be arriving on the Hogwarts Express shortly so I wanted to go over a few things with you if that is okay?" Harry rose from his desk and with a swing of his wand, the file on his desk swung closed and it made its way into the desk that he had warded from any prying eyes. He didn't need anyone knowing what he was looking at, not yet anyways.

"Of course Minerva, shall we make our way down to the Great Hall?" The two of them walked out of the room and into the classroom. They passed rows of desks that Harry had set up in anticipation for the first years he would be seeing this year. He would never admit it to anyone from his time, as they had all come to look at him as the hardened leader (Which he was, no doubt.), but he felt hope for the first time. He had to bide his time and play his cards close to his chest if he would change the future but that's why he was here, why Hermione had sacrificed herself to get him here. He was going to make the future better, and maybe instead of the horrors, he would pursue a future where the students were free to live a life.

He hadn't even noticed the absent conversation he was having with Minerva as they moved through the castle. She was going over the schedule for the sorting ceremony and the feast. He had already prepared for his first week so for the most part he was ready for what was in store. I was also pretty sure I remembered my first year at Hogwarts and it wasn't very eventful. Harry thought to himself, maybe he could make life better for himself.

"Excuse me Minerva; there is something I must take care of." He said, while stopping. She nodded her head and continued walking; it was a busy day ahead of the staff and a very exciting day for the students, both the returning and the new students. Harry had a plan to disrupt the influence of the Old Man this early and it required a little bit of ingenuity now. That and some break-in-and-entering.

**YOUNGHARRYPOV**

Ron and Hermione where following behind Harry as they climbed off the Hogwarts Express and got onto the crowded platform. The rest of the students were heading in there various directions before a very large man carrying a lantern began walking down the platform towards them.

"First years! First years over 'ere!" He called out while walking down the platform. He stopped before Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the first years that had gathered to see the giant of a man walking. Harry looked up at him and smiled, remembering the day Hagrid came and plucked him out of the Dursleys and told him that he was a wizard. It was a great day they spent in Diagon Alley just seeing everything and even getting Hedwig, It was probably the best day in his life, without much of a contest.

"Hiya Hagrid." Harry said while the giant smiled down at him. Harry looked back to see the gaping mouths of his friends as this was the first time they had ever seen Hagrid. After a moment of waiting, most of the other students had made their way out of the train now as it was beginning to roll away as Hagrid motioned for everyone to follow him as he held the lamp up high and began to lead the students through the darkness.

It didn't take them long before they arrived at the side of a lake. There were quite a few boats tied to the docks and Hagrid walked to the furthest boat and attached the lamp to the top of the boat before turning around and facing the group of students.

"Right then, everyone choose a boat, four per boat please." He said and watched as each student made their way to boats. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville climbed into a boat and after stopping Neville from falling into the water as he was climbing into the boat, they managed to get settled in with very few more issues. After Hagrid made sure everyone was inside the boats he walked to his boat and climbed inside before point forward with his wand and shouting back,

"Forward!"

The boats slowly began to detach from the dock as if they had a mind of their own and this worried some of the first years, Hermione knew well enough that it was enchanted to take the first years to the castle with no issues, it still unnerved her that it was moving all on its own. Harry and Ron looked excitedly forward, while Neville just tried to keep the sweets gran had given him from coming up right about now. As they rounded the corner they were floored, so to say, as to just how beautiful Hogwarts sat against the dark backdrop of the sky. The lights were burning away and you could see them in the windows of the school as just tiny pin pricks. It really was a wonderful sight, and not a single student said anything but Whoa, Wow and Look at that.

The boats moved silently across the water and as the school began to grow larger and larger before them until it disappeared behind the rock face all together and they found themselves sitting in a large cavern. The boats were docking now and each of the students was now climbing out of the boats and onto the wooden dock. Harry managed to get out and they made sure Neville also managed to climb up without falling in, Ron and Hermione and soon the rest of the students all got up with no problems then Hagrid pointed them to follow the stairs and watched as each student began to climb up the stairs, once the last student was out of sight he turned and began walking towards the front of the school to get to the great hall.

The first years ascended the stairs in a large horde, and after quite a few flights they rounded one more to find a stern looking woman wearing some emerald green robes and a large pointy black hat. Each student arrived at the top of the stairs and stopped before the woman. She was watching and waiting as each of the students arrived. Once everyone stopped and stopped talking she cleared her throat.

"The sorting ceremony will commence shortly, each student will be sorted into their prospective houses. You will attend classes with your house, you will sleep in the same dorm and when there are no classes, you will spend time with your house in the dorms. Good behaviour will win your house points, breaking rules and disobeying your teachers will lose your house points. At the end of the year, each house points are tallied and the house with the most points will win the house cup. The four houses are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Please wait here." With that she turned on her heels and walked towards the great hall, leaving the students to their own devices for a few moments.

"So, what they are saying on the train is true, Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." The voice of the blonde hair kid rang through the stairwell. He stepped forward to the front of the pack and faced Harry, standing right behind him and slightly to the side were two more boys, both looking angry at nothing. "My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. You will come to learn that some wizarding families are better than others." As he said this he looked directly at Ron before holding his hand out for Harry to shake. Harry looked at it for a moment before looking at the face of Draco Malfoy.

"I think I can sort out the wrong sort for myself thank you." Harry said, snubbing Malfoy completely, before he could say anything however McGonagall returned and waited for Malfoy to step aside before she held her hands up.

"Everyone follow me please."

The group followed McGonagall through the open doors of the Great Hall and once again each and every student was surprised by the sheer scope of the Great Hall. There were 4 long tables running across the length of the hall, presumably one for each house. At the end of the Hall, a table ran the length and it was clearly the table for the staff. They could see most of the staff sitting up their already, including Hagrid. Sitting before the staff table was a lonely stool and on that stool sat an old hat. Each of the students walked behind McGonagall until they arrived at the old stool and old hat. She stepped up and after giving a nod to Dumbledore then turned and faced the students.

"Now when I call your name, please come forward and place the sorting hat on your head. Then when your house is called please go and join them." Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement before she continued. "Okay then, First, Hannah Abbott."

Hannah walked forward and placed the hat on her head and as she did that Harry looked around the room before his eyes stopped up at the ceiling. He could see the nights sky through the roof, but still he could see roof beyond that. Hermione followed his gaze before smiling.

"It's not really the night sky, just bewitched to look like it. I read about it, in 'Hogwarts; A History'" Harry nodded at her then turned to watch as students were being called and everything was running smoothly.

"Hermione Granger"

The bushy haired girl walked forward and sat down on the stool and as the hat was lowered on her head she jumped slightly as the voice in her ear whispered. It took longer than most of the previous students, but after a long deliberation the voice called out to the Great Hall..

"RAVENCLAW!" The cheers from the Ravenclaw table drew attention away from one man who was sitting at the teachers table, the twinkle behind his half-moon glasses was now completely gone as he watched the bushy haired Granger girl head to the Ravenclaw table. He ran his fingers through his beard trying to look uninterested, his attempts went unnoticed by all but one Professor sitting further down the table, the slight hint of a smile on his face. More students were going up now before a name was called that had every sit forward.

"Harry Potter"

A sort of hushed silence fell over every student in the Great Hall and more than one teacher sat forward waiting for the great Harry Potter to take his seat and be sorted. Harry gulped to himself and walked to the stool. As he felt the hat fall over his head, and down his eyes a voice in his ear caused him to jump.

"Harry Potter, back again are we? No... This isn't him, this is you. Interesting, now I see what he was saying."

"What do you mean?"

"You will learn in time Mr. Potter. On one side there is that thirst for knowledge and power. A true loyalty lies within your heart. It's all right here. You would do well in Slytherin, that much is certain."

"No Slytherin, not Slytherin…"

"Not Slytherin eh? You would do well in Slytherin. There a real pull towards Gryffindor every part of me says Gryffindor but now I know the truth. I know where your true power lies Mr. Potter, and if what I have seen is true. Then we are going to need you at your best. So you will be in…"

Dumbledore sat forward in his chair, waiting for the Sorting Hat to do his job. It took a lot of work but he managed to convince the hat that Harry would be best in Gryffindor where his potential would be realized. Where he could be watched and most importantly guided through the years. It would have been best to keep Miss Granger for Gryffindor as her help would have been invaluable, for this year especially.

"RAVENCLAW!" The sorting hat yelled out once again, the entire Ravenclaw table exploded loudly at the acquisition of Harry Potter. Dumbledore however stopped breathing all together. How could this be? The hat was going to say Gryffindor that much he was sure of. Dumbledore glanced down the table at the newest member of the staff who was smiling and clapping with the rest of the school. He stared for a moment but James never looked his way. Dumbledore would have to look into that.

The rest of the students got through the sorting at a blur, Ron Weasley joined the rest of his family in Gryffindor and a pair of twins was actually split up. One went to Gryffindor and the other joined Ravenclaw. As McGonagall retrieved the stool and hat then carried them away Dumbledore stepped forward to the podium and began the start of term notices including the one to warn kids about the third floor corridor specifically to draw the attention of the Harry. There might not be any Quirrell this year but Dumbledore did have a plan or two set.

"Let the feast begin."

As he spoke food appeared on the plates in front of the students. The first years were taken aback by the large selection for a moment or two before they started eating, while the older students dug in right away.

"I'm Penelope Clearwater, the prefect for Ravenclaw," said a blonde girl introducing herself to Harry and the other first years. "You can call me Penny. After the feast, I will lead you guys to the Ravenclaw Dormitories." She smiled at them and turned to go back to eating. Harry turned to the teachers table and looked down the group. Dumbledore looked upset about something and a teacher down at the end was in a conversation with another professor but the one with the crooked nose and the greasy black hair kept looking at him.

"Penny?" Harry asked looking over at Penelope, "Who is that professor? There at the end?" Penny looked up at the professor then smiled slightly before leaning to Harry.

"Oh that's Professor Snape, he is the Potions master but everyone knows he been trying to get the Defence against the Dark Arts job for years. This year though the other Professor, sitting next to him" She motioned to the Professor who was talking to Snape "His name is Professor Dunham, Apparently he knows a lot. Enough to get the job at least."

**JAMESDUNHAMPOV**

The feast was over now and the students were heading to their beds for the night, James stuck around to watch as everyone made their way out of the Great Hall. He smiled to himself at the events of the night, It wasn't so difficult to convince the Sorting Hat about where to put his younger self, even in the years after Harry always thought that he may have realized earlier what was happening if he wasn't always so distracted by Ron and the rest of Gryffindor and focused on learning. Something he would get a lot of in Ravenclaw. Hermione was definitely one of the brightest witches of this generation and despite everything, He felt in his gut that she would be better to keep his younger self safe.

He heard shuffling behind his chair so he stood up and turned around to see Albus Dumbledore walking forward, He looked troubled about the events of the evening, and James hoped as much that he would be. Dumbledore placed a hand on the chair and looked at James from behind his half-moon glasses.

"Good evening Headmaster" James said while feeling his wand in the holster on his forearm. It wasn't that he expected a fight, but it was more from experience. He had to be prepared for anything.

"Professor, I might have a word?" Dumbledore asked, motioning for James to sit back down. There was no way Dumbledore could have figured it out this quickly. So he sat down and looked into the eyes of Dumbledore. He was also aware of the accomplishments in Legilimens Dumbledore had so he made sure his shield was well in place. He felt no pressure on his shield as Dumbledore continued to stare.

"I know that you are new to this teaching position, so I hoped you were prepared for tomorrow. I could arrange for someone to be in attendance to help keep an eye on things if it would make you more comfortable.." James had a feeling this was more than just this thing going on. He put up a smile and shook his head.

"Don't worry Headmaster, I have enough confidence. Things will run smoothly." James said looking over his shoulder.

"That is good to hear. That will be all for now" Dumbledore continued to walk out of the Hall and James slowly got to his feet looking around the Hall. More memories flashed back in his head from his time and the day he defeated Voldemort. Right here in this very hall. All the fighting and the manipulation and it ended with the great battle Dumbledore was pulling for. It cemented Harry Potter as the leader of the light, the one wizard all dark arts users should fear and it worked, until he returned to Godrics Hollow. Ginny in tow, stopping at the graveyard… He shook the thoughts out of his head and walked out of the Great Hall and into a corridor that lead towards the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom. He turned the corner before the sound of hushed talking caught his attention.

"Something isn't right Severus." The hushed voice of Dumbledore was speaking to Severus Snape. "The sorting hat was supposed to put Harry Potter into Gryffindor. It had to have been bewitched; I couldn't sense anything but I want you to do what you can."

"Shouldn't you be talking to your new Defence teacher?"

"Hush Severus… I believe he may be the one behind this." They were both quiet for a long time before they began walking in the opposite direction. It's surprising that anything stayed secret in this school, with the teachers talking like this in the open. After he was sure that they were walking away, James stepped out from the shadows of the corridor and towards his classroom. This year would be one full of surprises, thats for sure.

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**A/N - Thanks for tuning in once more! I hope you enjoy and don't forget to Favorite/Follow/Review and let me know how Im doing, I love constructive criticism, Im going to do my best to keep things just between the Harrys and try to make it as logical as possible in this world. I also have a few ideas for twists or new takes, and i think from this point forward at the beginning of each chapter i will answer one or two questions in Author notes. Just to give everyone some feedback, Although i wont spoil anything for you.** **If anyone wants to PM me questions, feel free to shoot it my way. Ill do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.**

**- Until Next Time.**


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